


The Art of Letting Go

by marvel_comic_girl



Category: Incredibles (2004), Incredibles (Pixar Movies), Incredibles 2 (2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I Blame My Gay Heart For This, Insomnia, Kidnapping, Slow Burn, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-15 10:28:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15410934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvel_comic_girl/pseuds/marvel_comic_girl
Summary: She'd always known someone would kill her just like her father, but she never thought he would do it.Or Evelyn is kidnapped and forced to create the Screenslaver just as Winston decides he wants to help legalize Supers. Evelyn hates Supers, but why does she feel compelled to tell Elastigirl everything?_AU where Evelyn is just a puppet and someone else is pulling the strings behind the Screenslaver.





	1. We Create Our Own Demons

Evelyn always knew they would come back. That they would come and kill both her and Winston. It was no surprise to her how she ended up like this.

  
Drooling helplessly on the floor while the stench of copper invaded her lungs. Hot, blinding hatred burned in her stomach, not for the imbeciles that had kidnapped her, but at herself because she had always known. Always berated her brother to be a bit more cautious, always kept her guard up while her brother frolicked around in an optimistic fantasy. Evelyn was insulted by how easily they were able to kidnap her.

  
A boot print permanently marked onto her back slammed into her ribcage and she gasped for oxygen.

  
"I see you've made our guest quite comfortable."

  
Goosebumps ran down Evelyn's spine as she looked toward the voice. The left side of the man's face was nonexistent, a hole in place of where his left eye should have been, and the skin burned to what Evelyn could hope was the dermis, if not the hypodermis. There was a gaping hole on the right side of his face and it left all his broken teeth exposed to the world. She was afraid to look down at the rest of his body. Even with her battered body, Evelyn managed to scoot away in fear until a baseball bat slammed her forward.

  
She swallowed the vomit in her mouth, "How?"

  
"Evie, Evie. How times have changed."

  
Evelyn shook her head in disbelief, "I don- I don't understand."

  
She’d always known someone would kill her just like her father, but she never thought _he_ would do it.

  
The man grinned, "Well, that's a first ladies and gentlemen. The great Evelyn Deaver doesn't have all the answers."

  
In his gaze, Evelyn found the window to insanity and she prayed to a deity she didn’t believe in that Winston never steps foot near this man.

  
"You see, up until recently I had pretty much everything I needed, but now my hands have been forced to this."

  
His lips gently touched a bruise on Evelyn's forehead, "I never wanted to do this Evie, never to you."

  
Evelyn unwillingly flinched, and the man leaned back in his chair, "This doesn't ever need to happen again, Evie. Just listen to me and everything will be okay. Do we have an agreement?"

  
Evelyn remained silent as she tried to logically think this through. Her thoughts merged together in a haze, there were too many unknown variables, there was no equation to solve, no clear path-

  
_Smack!_

Her head snapped to the right and she inhaled sharply, she curled into a ball trying to make her body impossibly small to avoid another blow.

  
The man laughed like a kid who had hit a piñata, "It seems like your big brain is having a hard time keeping up, so I'm going to put this in simpler terms. You don't help us, we kill you and your brother."

  
The image of her brother being hurt sent Evelyn's heart pounding against her ribcage, "What do I have to do?"

 

* * *

 

For a week, Evelyn remained hidden in her lab in a state between hysteria and panic. She doesn't know what's more pathetic: the fact that she does this so often that no one questions it or the fact that no one was aware of her 24-hour kidnapping. Her loneliness hasn't been more glaring until this very moment.

  
After numerous breakdowns, Evelyn forced herself to start working on the device her employer has asked her to create. Her normally steady hands trembled, and a sob involuntarily leaves her lips. The thought of creating a device that will intentionally cause destruction, chaos and may even possibly kill someone had her dry heaving into a toilet.

 

_**"Maria, let me call Gazerbeam and Fironic. I know you are afraid, but they will save us."** _

  
Evelyn's hand slammed into the tile floor and she forced the memory into the back of her mind. She stood up from the bathroom floor and swished some mouthwash into her mouth. Staring at her battered reflection, she let out a hollow laugh.

_Supers won't save me, only I can get myself out of this mess._

  
With that, Evelyn continued working on the hypnotizing device.

 

* * *

 

Two and a half weeks later, Winston came bouncing into her lab like a 10-year-old kid on a sugar high. It was embarrassing how much Winston still acted like a child, but Evelyn was glad he knew when to act professionally.

  
Winston slammed a magazine on the counter and smiled, "I have an idea."

  
Evelyn nearly rolled her eyes, Winston and ideas didn't go well together. It was the reason she was the creator of the products and he the seller.

  
Winston pointed at the Life magazine, "What if we helped legalize Supers again?"

  
It was nearly three months later, and the media was still in a rave about the family of Supers who saved the city from the Omnidroid. The front cover of the Life magazine was the Supers in the Golden Age, smack in the middle was one of Winston's favorite heroes, Mr. Incredible.

  
"No."

  
Winston growled in annoyance, "You didn't even let me explain the plan."

  
Evelyn twirled the screwdriver in her hand while avoiding her brother's gaze, "Supers are illegal for a reason."

  
Winston flipped through the magazine before pointing at page six, "Why? Look at all the good they can do!"

  
Without looking up, Evelyn replied, "You're forgetting all the damage the city had to pay for their fight."

  
"They had no choice!"

  
"Congress doesn't see it that way."

  
They've had this argument many times, over many years and still, they go in circles around each other ending at the same place.

  
Winston's voice is so small, she almost missed it, "Dad would have wanted it."

  
The screwdriver slipped out of her hand and onto the floor. Evelyn swats the roaring head of her demons back into their cage before looking up at Winston.

  
His gaze is on the floor, "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-"

  
"What's your plan?"

  
His mood switch could give someone whiplash, "Well, I was thinking you were right. Everyone agrees with the politicians because of what they tell them about Supers, but what if we could change their minds, change their perspective! We could create a real-time feed of the life of a Super fighting crime and show everyone what they are really doing!"

  
Evelyn picked up her screwdriver from the floor, "How do you suppose we record them?"

  
"Remember those tiny cameras you build a few weeks ago for security purposes? We could put them in their super suit. Then, no camera crew has the possibility of getting hurt."

  
Of course, Evelyn remembered creating those cameras. It was one of the first things she invented after being kidnapped. They weren't easy to spot, and intruders wouldn't know where to look for them. She also didn't inform Winston she had placed a few in some of his work ties.

  
"It does sound like a reasonable plan-"

  
"Then why am I hearing a but."

  
"You're missing the most important variable. Who is going to be your Super that will be voluntarily breaking the law?"

  
Winston grinned and pointed his finger back to page six of Life magazine, "Them!"

  
"You do realize two of those Supers are probably kids."

  
Winston shook his head, "We won't use them, I meant the other Supers. Frozone, Mr. Incredible, and Elastigirl."

  
Evelyn bit the back of her pencil, a bad habit she needed to break while staring at the picture, "It looks like Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl got married and had kids. Do you really think they would be willing to break the law for their kids’ sake?"

  
"They did it before, what's stopping them from doing it again?"

Winston was right. Nearly two weeks later, the same Supers were seen trying to stop the Underminer from robbing a bank. Evelyn wasn't aware of this development, even as the phone in her lab rang, she could only look at her finished prototype of the hypnosis glasses.


	2. Empty Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old memories resurface for Evelyn while meeting the Supers.

Evelyn was late. She's been late to meetings before, but this is not just some normal meeting. It was the Super meeting that Winston specifically told her not to be late to and despite all her alarms, she failed to make it on time.

Winston's going to kill her.

Evelyn had never been graceful, and it seems to intensify whenever she’s anxious. Evelyn slammed the door open and twirled to get her coat off while Evelyn's assistant scrambled to grab the bags that Evelyn let fall to the floor in frustration. Evelyn smiled sheepishly at Winston while avoiding the gaze of Supers.

Winston was oblivious to her entrance and continued to sing Frozone’s theme song. She took in the sight in of the Supers and raised an eyebrow at their old costumes. Mr. Incredible hung onto Winston’s every word and Evelyn can practically see every word feeding into his egoistic ways. Frozone’s excitement was less noticeable, but only his bouncing leg shows how eager he was to go back to fighting crime. It’s Elastigirl’s expression that surprises Evelyn. The Super’s expression was blank, and her body language screamed discomfort. It’s as though the Elastigirl was unsure if she should be there.

“Here is my tardy sister Evelyn.”

She awkwardly waved and sent a glare in Winston’s direction for signaling her out, “Hello, Supers.”

Evelyn quickly slipped into the background and let Winston charm his way into their heart. Before today, their plan was all theory and she did not agree to anything, but Winston had to take it upon himself to invite them without consulting her. Evelyn was annoyed, but she couldn’t really do anything about it now. Without her consent, Evelyn’s eyes drifted back to auburn hair and a red mask hiding chocolate eyes.

**_A mohawk flowing in the wind._ **

**_Freckles that mapped out the universe._ **

**_Cherry red lips in an upward quirk._ **

Evelyn choked on the back of her saliva and her face flushed. She turned her body away from the Super and forced herself not to look back.

“Dad loved Supers, he was devastated when they were forced into hiding.”

Evelyn already knows where Winston is headed with this story. With a clenched fist, she’s ready to tell Winston off but falls flat at his next words.

“There was a break in…”

**_Laying on her stomach, Evelyn lets out a sigh of content as she stares at the magazine in her hand. It’s an older edition, one that was printed before Supers were illegal. She traces the figure on the magazine and lets out a squeak of joy. It’s Elastigirl sitting on her motorcycle, one hand weaving through her mohawk, the other waving at the camera._ **

**_Evelyn quickly sat up as a pounding sound echoes through the silent house. She places the magazine back in its box and slides it under her bed. It’s late, so late that she is supposed to be asleep already. Evelyn can’t imagine who would be banging on their door so late at night. She edges to her bedroom door and freezes._ **

**_When Winston and Evelyn were younger, a rogue baseball went flying in the air and straight into the kitchen window._ **

**_Evelyn can see it now as glass from the other side of the house is smashed in a single blow. Glittering fragments falling in an explosive arc across the kitchen table._ **

**_A hand pulls her into the hallway and she trips over her feet._ **

**_“Come on!”_ **

**_Evelyn nods to her mother and grips onto the back of her father’s shirt in fright. Her mother is running in the direction of the Panic room, but she’s yanked in the opposite direction._ **

**_Evelyn had never let go of her father’s shirt._ **

**_Her mother’s eyes narrow back at him, “What are you doing?!”_ **

**_Her anger has no effect on the man, “Maria, let me call Gazerbeam and Fironic. I know you are afraid, but they will save us.”_ **

**_Her mother's face drops in an expression Evelyn never wants to see again, “Supers are illegal, they aren’t going to come. Let’s just go to the Panic room.”_ **

**_Her father shakes his head, “They will come!”_ **

**_He turns back to Evelyn, “Let go Evelyn.”_ **

**_She can’t, her knees knock together, and her hand won’t release its death grip. Evelyn can’t let him go when she knows the direct line to the Supers is towards the dangerous sounds._ **

**_“Please Edward!”_ **

**_“I said let go, Evelyn!”_ **

**_A hand knocks into Evelyn’s chest and her grip loosens just enough that her hands are empty._ **

“...the robbers discovered him on the phone and shot him.”

Winston wasn’t there, he didn’t see that their father had made a clear choice and she was going to clear that up for him.

“Mother begged father to go to the Panic room, but he wouldn’t listen. She died of heartbreak shortly after.”

Winston’s head snapped in her direction and his eyes widen. Evelyn had never said anything about that night and she wasn’t planning on saying anything else.

 

* * *

 

Evelyn dragged the cigarette and puckered her lips inhaling the smoke. She held it deep in her lungs craving the burning sensation even when her eyes began to water. Her lungs gasped for oxygen and she coughed smoke out of her mouth and nose. The cigarette trembled in her hand and she moved it around trying to find a comfortable position. When Evelyn finally stopped coughing, she inhaled once more and repeated the process again.

Evelyn Deavor was not a smoker, but sometimes alcohol just doesn’t cut it anymore.  

**_“I don’t know.”_ **

Evelyn inhaled sharply and glared at the moon. She was in disbelief when Elastigirl had uttered those three words. Now, Evelyn wanted to rip her hair out and she had not a single clue why she was so upset.

Her own thoughts betrayed her. _You know why. You like-_

Evelyn stomped away _those_ thoughts and she finally exhaled without coughing. Whatever happened in the past, didn’t matter anymore. Evelyn once believed the stories her father had told them, the difference between Winston and her was that she had opened her eyes to all the ugliness in this world while he remained blind.

Evelyn let out a strangled sigh and looked towards the clock.

_2:47 am._

Evelyn’s hands were restless and her eyes heavy. Despite how much she wanted to sleep, her mind would not shut up and she could not take another night staring into the darkness of her room. She had done so before, too many times to recount, and her ceiling was permanently imprinted into her memory. The times Evelyn did manage to fall asleep, she was stricken with nightmares that would wake her up in screams and a feverish sweat.

_Maybe it's better to not sleep at all._

Evelyn let the cigarette fall to the floor and stomped into the concrete ground. Her body then moved on autopilot and she found herself desperately moving old boxes around in the back of her closet. What was she even looking for? At this point, Evelyn wasn’t even sure. Evelyn froze as she stared at a small dusty box that she had once deliberately hidden from direct view.

Evelyn ripped it open and felt all the tension leave her body as she stared at the old magazines. If she closed her eyes hard enough she could imagine being sixteen, laying on her bed as she flipped through these magazines. Evelyn hated that she was unintentionally seeking comfort from this. Fingertips itched for a pencil and paper and Evelyn frantically drew an image before it left her mind.

Her lip turned upward as she stared at the sketched out Elasticycle.

A sudden ringing from the phone caused Evelyn to jump startled. She put her hand to her chest and cursed herself because there was no need to be so afraid. Not many people had her personal number and there was only one fool who would be willing to call her so late at night.

Evelyn picked up the phone from the receiver and leaned on the wall.

“You would never guess who just called.”

She rolled her eyes and looked back at her clock, “Winston, it is three in the morning. Why are you still awake?”

An excited scream blared through the phone and Evelyn pulled it away slightly to save her hearing, “It was Elastigirl! She said yes!”

Evelyn blinked, “What?”

“She just called me and accepted our offer.” _Your offer_ , Evelyn corrected in her head. “I have a meeting with her tomorrow morning. Can you be there?”

Evelyn stared at the Elasticycle blueprints in the corner of her eyes, “Actually, I think I will be working on something else.”

Her brother groaned into the phone, “What can be more important than this?”

“You’ll like it. I swear you will.”

“Fine, but this better be good, or else!”

They both know that it's an empty threat, “It will be. Goodnight.”

“Wait!” Winston became silent and she could hear his anxious breathing, “Are you sleeping well?”

Evelyn tugged on the phone chord as he started to ramble, “It’s just that Eve, you seem tired and I know you’ve had some problems in the past. I’m your older brother, I’m allowed to worr-”

A gnawing guilt sat on her chest, “Everything is fine.”

A silence stretched between them and Evelyn almost broke her reserve. She wanted to tell him how she couldn’t sleep and how constantly scared she was. Most of all, she wanted to tell him about the Hypno-Glasses hidden in her desk. _Out of s_ _ight, out of mind_. Except Evelyn's mind wouldn't let her forget the thing she so desperately wanted to ignore. 

“Are you sure?”

Evelyn nodded her head before remembering Winston couldn’t see her, “I just want everything to go well.”

“Me too. I’ll see you later.”

Evelyn put the phone back and started picking up the balls of scrap paper around her coffee table. _I guess it’s time to start counting sheep._

The phone started ringing on the hook and Evelyn shook her head. _Winston was probably too excited and forgot to tell me something._

Evelyn picked up the phone and put it to her ear. She clicked the roof of her mouth and huffed, “What now Winston?”

“Evie, we have much to discuss.”


End file.
